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Patrick Hen.

ry, esq.

Edmund Randolph, esq.

List of Governors of Virginia during the period comprised in this Volume.

PATRICK HENRY, Esq. was elected, a second time, governor of Virginia, in December 1784, and continued until December 1786, when Edmund Randolph, esq. was elected.

EDMUND RANDOLPH, Esq. continued governor until December 1788, when Beverley Randolph, esq. was elected.

AT A

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

BEGUN AND HELD

Patrick Hens ry, esq go.

At the Public Buildings in the City of
Richmond, on Monday the seven-vernor.
teenth day of October in the year of
our Lord one thousand seven hun-
dred and eighty-five, and in the tenth
year of the commonwealth.*

CHAP. I.

An act to amend and reduce into one act, the several laws for regulating and disciplining the militia, and guarding against invasions and insurrections.

1. WHEREAS the defence and safety of the com- Preamble, monwealth depend upon having its citizens properly armed and taught the knowledge of military duty, and the different laws heretofore enacted being found inadequate to such purposes, and in order that the same may be formed into one plain and regular system;

From the adoption of the constitution, until the present session, there had never been less than two sessions of the General Assembly, in each year, sometimes more, according to the exi. genies of the government. By an act of May 1784, chap. XX. (See Vol 11, p. 387) the meeting of the General assembly was fixed for the third Monday in October, annually.-Ever since that period, the sessions have been annual, except, in a few instances, when the assembly has been convened, for special purposes, under the tenth article of the constitution.

Von XII.

B

Officers displaced by a former act restored.

11. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That the officers of the militia who were displaced and removed from office, by virtue of an act" For amending the several laws for regulating and disciplining the militia, and guarding against invasions and insurrections," are hereby reinstated, and shall take precedency of rank agreeable to the dates of the commissions they severalVacancies ly held prior to the passing of the said act; and vacanhow supplied cies supplied by appointment of the governor, with the advice of the privy council, or recommendation from the respective county courts.

Militia men & exempts described.

III. And be it further enacted, That all free male persons between the ages of eighteen and fifty years, except the members of the council of state, members of the American congress, judges of the superior courts, speakers of the two houses of assembly, treasurer, attorney-general, auditors and their clerks, solicitor-general and his clerks, clerks of the council of state, and treasury, register of the land-office, his deputy and clerks, custom-house officers, all inspectors of tobacco, all professors, and tutors at the University of William and Mary, and other public seminaries of learning, all ministers of the Gospel, licensed to preach according to the rules of their sect, who shall have previously taken before the court of their county, an oath of fidelity to the commonwealth, post-masters, keepers of the public gaol and public hospital, millers, persons concerned at iron or lead works, or persons solely employed in repairing or manufacturing fire-arms, all of whom are exempted from the obligations of this act, shall be inrolled or formed into companies, of three serjeants, three corporals, a drummer and fifer, and not less than forty, nor more than sixty-five, rank and file; and these companies shall again be formed into regiments of not more than one thousand, nor less than five hundred men, if there be so many in the county. Each comMilitia how pany shall be commanded by a captain, lieutenant, and to be officer- an ensign; each regiment by a colonel, lieutenant-colonel, and major; and the whole by a county-lieutenant. These officers shall be resident within their county; and before they enter on the execution of their respective offices, shall take the following oath: "I Officers' oath. do swear that I will be faithful and true to the commonwealth of Virginia, of which 1 profess myself to be a citizen; and that I will faithfully and justly execute the

Companies

how to be formed.

ed.

office of a

in the militia of the county of according to the best of my skill and

ter.

General mus.

ter.

musters how

judgment. So help me God." There shall be a pri- Private musvate muster of every company once in two months, except December and January, at such convenient time and place as the captain or next commanding officer shall appoint: á muster of each regiment on some day Regimental in the month of March or April, in every year, to be muster. appointed by the commanding officer thereof, at a convenient place near the centre of the regiment; and a general muster of the whole on some day in the month of October or November, in every year, to be appointed by the county-lieutenant, or commanding officer, at a convenient place near the centre of the county: For the times and places of the said musters, the county- Notices of lieutenant or commanding officer for the time being, and when to shall give notice to the commanding officers of regi- be given. ments; for the general muster, the commanding officers of regiments shall give notice to the commanding officers of their respective companies of such general muster and of his regimental muster; and the commanding officers of companies shall give notice of the general, regimental, and private musters, to every person of their respective companies, and to that end the commanding officers of companies shall have power to order so many of their serjeants as they shall think fit, to give such notice, which may be done by personal summons by the said commanding officer, or serjeant so ordered, or by either of them, leaving notice in writing at the usual place of abode of the person to be summoned: The notices to be given by the commanding officer of the county, and commanding officers of regiments, shall be in writing, delivered in person, or left at the usual place of abode of each person, to be notified either by such commanding officers themselves, or by such officer or officers of their respective commands as they may think fit to order; the said notices shall be given by the commanding officer of the county, to the commanding officers of regiments at least thirty days; by the commanding officers of regiments at least fifteen days; and by the commanding officers of companies at least five days, before such general, regimental, or private musters (as the case may be) shall be appointed Penalties on to be had. Any officer ordered as aforesaid to give failure to give Bach notices, failing therein, shall for every offence for- notice.

soldiers.

feit and pay five pounds; and every serjeant so failing shall forfeit and pay one pound for every such failure;

to be recovered as other fines hereafter to be establish

ed.

Equipments Every officer and soldier shall appear at his reof officers & spective muster-field on the day appointed, by eleven o'clock in the forenoon, armed, equipped, and accoutred, as follows: The county-lieutenants, colonels, lieutenant-colonels, and majors, with a sword, the captains, lieutenants and ensigns, with a sword and espontoon, every non-commissioned officer end private with a good, clean musket carrying an ounce ball, and three feet eight inches long in the barrel, with a good bayonet and iron ramrod well fitted thereto, a cartridge box properly made, to contain and secure twenty cartridges fitted to his musket, a good knapsack and canteen, and moreover, each non-commissioned officer and private shall have at every muster one pound of good powder, and four pounds of lead, including twenty blind cartridges; and each serjeant shall have a pair of moulds fit to cast balls for their respective companies, to be purchased by the commanding officer out of the moExceptton as nies arising on delinquencies. Provided, That the mito those be litia of the counties westward of the Blue Ridge, and yond the Blue the counties below adjoining thereto, shall not be obliRidge.

ged to be armed with muskets, but may have good rifles with proper accoutrements, in lieu thereof. And every of the said officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates, shall constantly keep the aforesaid arms, accoutrements, and ammunition, ready to be produced whenever called for by his commanding officer. If any private shall make it appear to the satisfaction of the Poor privates court hereafter to be appointed for trying delinquencies

how to be

armed.

under this act that he is so poor that he cannot purchase the arms herein required, such court shall cause them to be purchased out of the money arising from delinquents. The arms so purchased, shall by the commanding officer of the county, be delivered to the captain of the company to which such poor private may belong, who shall deliver such arms to the private, but they shall continue the property of the county; and if Penalty on any private shall sell or conceal the same, the seller, him for sell concealer, and purchaser, shall each forfeit and pay ing, &c. his four pounds, to be recovered by the commanding officer in any court of record, on ten days notice. And on the death, disability, or exemption of such poor pri

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